Obama: Hey, Sorry I've Been Completely Out of Touch on This Terrorism Thing

"In his meeting with the columnists, Mr. Obama indicated that he did not see enough cable television to fully appreciate the anxiety after the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, and made clear that he plans to step up his public arguments."

Obama needs more cable news in his media diet? Revealing comment in a private meeting with newspaper columnists... pic.twitter.com/iUHz6Ey38g

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) December 18, 2015

Before taking off for a two week vacation in Hawaii, Obama admitted in the same meeting with columnists to being slow to respond to the terrorism threat and worries of Americans here at home.

But Mr. Obama said he now realizes that he was slow to respond to public fears after terrorist attacks in Paris and California, acknowledging that his low-key approach led Americans to worry that he was not doing enough to keep the country safe. He has engaged in a blitz of public events lately to try to convince them otherwise, including a visit on Thursday to the National Counterterrorism Center.

Meanwhile, terrorism is the number one concern of Americans according to polling from a variety of sources.